Three and a half years ago, Sam Chamberlain’s relationship with his parents deteriorated to the point where he felt he was better off living on the streets. He has been homeless ever since.

“A lot of people really don’t understand,” explained Chamberlain. “A lot of people just say, ‘You’re homeless. You’re under 18. It is probably your choice. That’s probably your fault’ and it is not necessarily.”

The 18 year old has stayed in shelters and made use of drop-in centers to get by. Through it all, he has continued to get his education by attending high school.

“It is really hard to do a math paper when you’re worried about where you are going to sleep, how you are going to stay warm tonight, how you are going to get fed,” stated Chamberlain.

“We work with homeless and runaway youth, at-risk youth and we provide shelter, transitional living and street outreach,” explained Bob Rowe, executive director of New Beginnings. “Here in Lewiston and Auburn, we see about 600 kids a year.”